ELECTION ’12//CONGRESS 15 | On June 5, just hours after casting a vote for himself in the East Bay’s 15th Congressional District primary against incumbent Congressman Pete Stark, Dublin City Councilman Eric Swalwell voted to approve a no-bid, monopoly contract to a local garbage company while members of that firm’s upper management sat in attendance. Swalwell, however, never publicly disclosed that those four top-level employees of Amador Valley Industries were large contributors to his congressional campaign in the months before the deal. Also in attendance was a consultant for the garbage company who not only had recently donated to Swalwell, but also has a history of violating campaign finance laws…
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Dear Anon: Go FUCK YOURSELF 🙂 how's that for no balls?
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Any truth to the word on the street that SWALWELL is trying to go from “COUCH SURFER” to “CONGRESSMAN”? I almost laughed out loud at one of our neighborhood block parties when someone who knows him said that it's a running joke in town that this jackass is making an issue out of maryland while he is counting sheep in the family room.
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How much money is Ro giving to Pete? That is true loyalty in politics. Any word on whether or not Pete gave a loan to his campaign?
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Cindy Corrello Hilke,
Teramoto, Stark, plain and simple you just like the insider elite point of view regardless of what the people want. You consider any “affront” to the insider elite to be disloyal…
Case in point, your post to Fremont Politics, September 20th, 2011–
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“Let me make this very, very clear – Ro is not running – he is supporting Pete 100% – period, exclamation point!!!! Ro is fiercely loyal to the Congressman and nothing is going to change that. It is the others who are running that are disloyal to the Congressman. Pete’s 30 years of service to this community have earned him the loyalty of all – so sad that is not happening.”
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Yeah, anyone who challenges the entrenched elite, even if they are foggy old has-beens, is NOT LOYAL.
Thats right citizens, you must be loyal to the incumbents. Always respect them. Do not become disloyal no matter they stick around until they become totally imcompetent.
Pay no attention to the congressman's inability to even speak in public during his campaign.
Pay no attention to him hiding from the public.
NO, just go to his site and see “Pete Stark answers the tough questions”– or atleast reads answers to the tough questions.
#1 on your list, loyalty to Pete, forever, as long as he deems the seat to be his.
Heck, even Ro's support for Stark is tepid at best, as seen in his recent appearance with Michael Krasney on KQED FM. Very tepid indeed.
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Jason Teramoto another person in politics that has NO BALLS.
Where are the brave people at these days?
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10:48: Don't know where you go for your “mythology” or if you and I know the same Jason Teramoto but he is one of the most brilliant men I have ever known, been honored to work with and even more honored to call my friend. In the decade I have known him I know of no more brilliant strategist or skilled tactician. The network he has built is impressive and his nickname of “Shark” is well deserved – if there is blood in the water, he will be there is chomp the legs off of all comers.
Fairly obvious that Swalwell is in his last few minutes of unearned fame and you can thank Jason for that.
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After reading this article I started to look at all the videos of Swallwell at the Dublin city council. He is not even an active member of the council in Dublin. I have seen enough. Honestly I can think of many other people more qualified to be in congress after seeing the videos. Poor performance Swallwell. Now for sure I am not voting for Swallwell.
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I do not care if LORD VADER walked off the Death Star and donated to Erics Campaign then Eric handed over Princess Leah, Chewie and mi-wuk village in return. I would rather vote for a competent, LOCAL, young, energetic democratic than one that can't walk, can't see and hires dumb shits like Teramoto to run his office….REALLY?
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8:04 “Your article, I think, has not only cost Swalwell this race, but may have permanently ended his career”
OK OK, lets all calm down and regain our composure.
We all understand that when the heart rate gets too high, any of us is prone to hyperbole.
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Tavares you are the only reporter in the east bay actually reporting on news! Tavares for Pres.
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Mr. Tavares, you are the only journalist who has had the courage to expose Swalwell. I originally thought Swalwell was going to win. Since your story hit, I have talked to so many undecideds who said they will never vote for Swalwell for anything. Your article, I think, has not only cost Swalwell this race, but may have permanently ended his career. We need less Hayashi's and Swalwell's in Alameda County politics. Let's drain the swamp.
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Explain how it's a conflict of interest. This was to his congressional campaign and it was disclosed. Where's the conflict? Is AVI going to have business in the House of Representatives? Pete Stark is sounding desperate. How many of these comments are from people on his staff?
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What a conflict of interest? He should have recused himself. I will not be voting for him.
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Eric's campaign seems very interested in pointing out that the vote was 4-1. So the fact that he wasn't the deciding vote means that it wasn't a bribe (a bribe by any other name is still a bribe, folks)? That's not answering the question of why he took their money, voted their way, and declined to say so at the council meeting. The fact that the measure would have passed anyway is irrelevant to me. The question is, was his vote for sale? The campaign only seems interested in saying that even if it was, the measure wouldn't have passed. Reminds me of Rick Perry in the primary of debates, saying “it costs a lot more than $5,000 to bribe me…” knowing Stark's contrarian nature, do you think that anyone who gives him money expects him to be beholden to them? Highly unlikely. Eric is shady–Hayashi Jr?
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After reading about Swallwell now I will vote for Stark.
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It was a 4-1 vote in favor of the garbage company. They didn't even need Swalwell's vote. Additionally, I would vote for Al Capone over that senile, left wing screwball of an old man Pete Stark. He's an embarrassment..
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Stark sucks. Anybody would be better than that crazy old man. Swalwell will defeat him finally. Stark once insulted J.C. Watts on the floor of congress with a personal racist attack. Too bad JC didn't drop him. JC had too much class. Stark is a clown and old bafoon and embarrassment to the people of this district
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Furthermore, stick to the topic. I didn't write a story about myself.
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To the person at 7:32: have you ever thought about making a donation to make that investigation happen? This report took a month. Obviously, if you think I'm biased toward Stark, you have no inkling the newspapers are in favor of Swalwell. Attack me. I guarantee I hit harder.
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Yes, good to get into the Huffington Post..
Now, having said that, I am reminded about what Michael Deaver said to reporters after they had slammed President Reagan on a certain issue.
He told them he wasn't angry at all. When asked why, he said, “did you see that story on the news?”
“you put Ronald Regan right next to a flag, it doesn't matter what you say, its what the people people see.”, (or something to that effect)
So to the Huffingpost. Go now and look at that article. It is a disaster for Pete Stark and wonderful for Swalwell.
Go, go now, take a look. Forget what is written, just look at the photo they used..
LOOK, LOOK at the two candidates. Who looks capable and who looked like he is bent over and befuddled.
Who is taller and who is in the foreground?
Who is in charge and who is thinking about what he'll be having for dinner later on?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/eric-swalwell-pay-to-play_n_2012504.html
More articles like that and Pete will be wearing slippers most of next year.
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Chill Mr. Bond, I think 7:32 is right your writing does appear biased against Swallwell. I admit I will vote for Swallwell so I might be biased too.
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He gets his money from medical PACs that do business with the health committee that he is the chair of. This has been said before on EBCitizen. Furthermore, it has been covered extensively by other papers. Everyone seems so interested in covering a 40-year incumbent whose political on goings have been under constant scrutiny for years but yet when someone talks about this challenger that has little to no record; people lose their shit.
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Mr. Tavares it is obvious that you like Stark. Have you thought of doing a similar investigative report on where Stark gets his money. Yep, you are not going to are you?
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Shout out on getting covered in the Huffington Post!
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the bigger issue here (which you obviously missed) is that he didn't report it during the city council meeting. Like most elected officials that may have a “CONFLICT OF INTEREST” they often voluntarily RECUSE themselves from voting. Since Eric apparently didn't – it raises more than a few eyebrows about his ethics at the city level. If that's not a red flag I don't know what is.
here's a question: have any of the other council members recused themselves from voting on business before the city that may have presented a conflict of interest?
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Correct, but the Dublin City Council isn't running for congress. You are correct, though,that Dublin's businesses practice need to be looked at. There is too much potential for graft in that fast-growing city.
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Soooo…what exactly did he do wrong? He reported his donations, was he supposed to do something more? It sounds like Dublin's laws are the real problem here.
Did you look up the campaign donations of these people affiliated with AVI and the Lin family? Did they donate to other people on the council? I realize that I could do it my self, but I don't get paid for being a journalist.
Also, I thought the hat picture was pretty funny, at least Swalwell appears to have some humility.
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2:35 pm… You are right, and you and 7 other people in the entire world will be going to http://www.recallswalwell.com
6 out of those 7 will be Stark supporters.
the 7th person may be up for influencing.
Keep up the solid campaign, perhaps a second person will be influenced before election day.
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I think Eric had gotten a free pass from the Stark folks in the primary and was hoping the public wouldn't have time to learn about him before they voted.
I'm glad to see pete hitting him. It's perfect timing given these last couple of weeks. Personally, I was hoping swalwell was actually going to come out with some specifics about why I should vote for him. Well, the slick mail piece he sent out this week listed supporting “made in america” as the FIRST point. So I thought, hey, there has to be a bill out there already for this. Turns out there is, it was put forth this year and guess who was one of the first supporters? PETE STARK.
Nice try Eric, reminds me of the article that tavares put up months ago about how you said you would author some bill at the Hayward debate and it turned out Stark had already authored that bill 5 years before…
moron.
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You are right, they do say that a picture is worth a thousand words. have you seen the ones of Eric on the http://www.recallswalwell.com website?
And what kind of arrogance does it take to get a hat made with your initials on it? Guy is a douchebag, plain and simple. I thought it was just a good photoshop job from the Stark campaign but then I see Eric's facebook page and he's actually wearing it?…does he not get the joke is on him?
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Good article here and in East Bay Express..
Also, another article in Politico with…..
With a DEVASTATING photo
Check out that photo
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82789.html?hp=l7
What do they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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After voting for the contract. He should have asked the city attorney if their was a conflict.
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9:49 – wrong. He did disclose them in his campaign finance reports. How do you think Steve found out about them?
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9:13 you are wrong it is a story because Swalwell didn't disclose the donation.
Yes everyone takes donations like the ones you are pointing out with Stark but Swallwells failure to disclose is troubling.
My favorite Jesse Unruh quote on taking lobbyist donations.
“If you can't eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women and then vote against them you have no business being up here.”
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6:55am – are you high? Pete takes campaign donations from entities that have business with his committee just like every politician (check out the amount of cash he has taken from medical PACs). Until we get rid of our current campaign finance system this is a non story.
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WOW!! I knew there had to be something there. Pete doesn't tolerate these kinds of ethical violations. A first rate job Steven, this must have taken a great deal of work and due diligence. I say it again, WOW!!!
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Oh Oh I don't think Tavares will be invited to any campaign events for Swallwell.
Thank you Tavares for exposing what all newspapers fail to do. Do the news.
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